Job losses at Honda in Swindon

99 people are to be made redundant from Honda in Swindon. The company confirmed the number following discussions with the Unite union.

Honda recently announced it would be reducing its UK production lines from two to one. Employees made redundant will leave on 23 May.

Car maker Honda has announced it is scaling back production at its Swindon plant with the loss of up to five hundred jobs. It will affect 340 employees and a further 160 agency workers.

The company, which employs 3000 people in the town, is cutting the number of shifts from three to two.

It blames a slump in European sales. Unions say staff have been left bewildered and angry, as Robert Murphy reports.

Honda is to cut production at its UK factory in Swindon from three shifts to two, threatening 340 jobs.

Jim D'Avila, from Unite union, says the staff are bewildered and angry:

Honda's senior vice president, Ian Howells, blames a slump in sales in Europe for the decision to scale back production at the Swindon car plant, with the loss of 340 jobs.

He told our political correspondent Bob Constantine that he expected the downturn to last for "one or two years", but denied that Honda had been too optimistic about the market in the past:

Japanese car giant Honda is to cut production at its UK factory in Swindon from three shifts to two, threatening 340 jobs.

Most cars built at the plant are exported and sales in other countries have not been as strong as in the UK.

Honda said it will enter into consultation on a proposal to reduce the workforce by 340 production employees.

As well as moving to two shifts, production will be consolidated on to one line, to "improve production flexibility and efficiency" while production volumes continue at the current level.

Honda is to cut production at its Swindon factory from three shifts to two, threatening 340 jobs, the company said today.